


The Fall

by nhasablog



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, Gen, Minor Injuries, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 16:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17470910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Tony was 17 the first time he got seriously injured (aka Tony breaks his leg and Rhodey takes care of him). MIT era.





	The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I normally would never post such a short fic here, but ever since tumblr flagged my blog (incorrectly, I might add) and I had to make a new one to repost my stuff and I know it's gonna take me ten years, I want to post all the new fics I'm proud of here, despite their length. I hope you enjoy :)

Tony was 17 the first time he got seriously injured. It was stupid, the way it had gone down, and he didn’t often talk about it until decades later. He was younger than his fellow classmates, navigating the hallways of MIT with his head bowed low and his heart constantly in his throat. Terrified, perpetually terrified, until he was in a lab or the sanctuary of his dorm. Working or studying or creating. Only then did he relax.

The way he fell was worse than the fall. The icy streets of wintertime Massachusetts providing a glittering threat to them all, and Tony, a California boy, was so wrapped up in layers that he could barely move. And yet, his eyes, constantly on the ground to make sure he didn’t tumble, were distracted by someone calling out his name. And then, his feet, always so careful, stepped on an unsalted patch of ice and he stumbled, teetered, wobbled, and fell. And the person hadn’t even been calling out to him.

Rhodey acted like a mother hen after that, but Tony knew it was mostly because neither of his parents decided to fly out to see him after he was taken to the hospital with a broken leg, even though they easily could. He only thanked the heavens that he hadn’t hurt his wrists.

“You need something?” Rhodey asked a few days after the embarrassing descend. “Any cravings?”

Tony, semi confined to his bed still, shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Why don’t you put the books away and rest some?”

“I can’t fall behind, Rhodey.”

“They would understand.” The bed complained as he sat beside him. “The morphine. The hospital visit.”

“I can’t afford to fall behind.”

“You’re the smartest kid here, Tones.”

“Emphasis on kid.”

“You’ll be 18 soon enough.” Rhodey poked his side, dropping the mama bear act, finally. “Stop being grumpy. You’re not the first person with a broken leg.”

Tony huffed. “I’m not grumpy. I’m trying to work and you keep distracting me.”

Rhodey grinned. “You love me,” he said, giving him another poke. “Admit it.”

Tony pushed his hand away. “Stop.”

“What, this?” He went to poke him once again, but Tony grabbed his wrist. “Oh, come on, I know you don’t mind it.”

“I’m gonna hurt you.”

“With a broken leg? Good luck.” He managed to free his hand and went for Tony’s neck, fluttering his fingers briefly over it and laughing when Tony started giggling. “That’s more like it.”

Tony dropped his grumpy facade. “Okay, okay, I’ll put the books away. Happy?”

“Very.”

“You’re so annoying.”

“You love me.”

“I’m not sure why.”

“Hey, I still haven’t gone for your belly, you know.”

Tony crossed his arms protectively. “Uncle.”

“Already? Can’t handle it, I see.”

“I’m injured.”

“Excuses. Oh wait, can you hand me that marker?”

“Why?”

“I wanna write ‘ticklish’ on your cast.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You can’t stop me.”

Maybe being stuck with Rhodey wasn’t so bad after all. Not that Tony had been worried in the first place.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my (new) [tumblr](http://nhasanotherblog.tumblr.com)


End file.
